Child Krishna Manifests His Divinity - Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Baba

Embodiments of Love!

Sage Garga was highly respected by both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He was the Kula Guru (preceptor of the clan) of the Yadavas. He was a great scholar, having profound knowledge of the scriptures. He was endowed with great wisdom. Nanda and Yashoda invited him to their house for the naming ceremony of their baby.

I am not referring to Myself here. Incarnations usually are Shukla (white), Aruna (orange) or Pita (yellow). But here was a child who was black. Hence, Garga considered the name Krishna (black) as most appropriate for the child. After naming the child, Garga narrated several wonderful incidents that were to take place in the life of the child before departing from the house of Nanda.

After some time, Garga visited Nanda’s house again. He strictly observed austerities; he prepared his food with his own hands. He would not eat food even touched by anybody else. Yashoda therefore provided a secluded place for him to prepare his food. He asked for a little flour, jaggery and milk. Sugar as a sweetener was not known then. Sweets were made with jaggery. Garga put the constituents into a vessel and prepared a sweet pudding. As he was a devotee of Lord Vishnu, he offered the pudding to the Lord before partaking of it. Suddenly, the child Krishna dashed into the room and started eating the sweet pudding kept in the vessel. Hearing the sound, Garga,who was praying, opened his eyes and found the child eating the pudding that he had prepared for himself. He called Yashoda and told her, "Mother, do you see what your son is doing? I am hungry and your son has eaten the pudding before I could." Yashoda caught hold of Krishna and admonished Him for His action, saying, "Don’t you know that the venerable Garga is the Guru of our clan and you have defiled his food? Is it not our duty to honor our guests in a befitting manner?" Krishna replied, "Mother, I have not done anything on My own. It was he himself who called Me to eat the pudding." Yashoda then asked Garga as to why he called Krishna whom she had kept safely away. Garga said that he had not called Krishna. Krishna protested saying, "Oh sage, why are you telling a lie? To whom did you offer the food in prayer before partaking of it? Is it not Myself to whom you prayed? First you offered the food to Me and now you are complaining!" Garga was perplexed for a moment, but soon he recognized that Krishna was none other than Vishnu Himself. He had prayed to Vishnu and Krishna responded. With this realization, Garga was happy to partake of the leftover of the pudding eaten by Krishna.

When was Krishna actually born? He was born 3228 years before the Christian era on the day corresponding to 20th July at 3 a.m. It is AD 2001 now. So, Krishna was born 5229 years ago. He was born on Ashtami (8th day of the moon) in Bahula Paksha (dark fortnight) of the auspicious month of Sravana under the star Rohini.

At that time, there was a demoness who was a Balahanthaki (killer of infants). Her real name was not known to anyone, but she was generally called Poothana. It was her practice to wander from village to village and kill infants with her poisoned milk. In the course of her wanderings, she came to Repalle. She assumed a beautiful form, entered Yashoda’s house and started feeding her poisoned milk to the infant Krishna. The infant Krishna sucked out-along with the milk and the poison her entire life-force until she fell dead. Yashoda came running to Krishna as she heard the thud of Poothana’s fall. Seeing the dead demoness, Yashoda was frightened.

One day, a lady vendor came to sell fruits. In those days, there were no monetary transactions; only barter system existed. Fruit had to be bought in exchange for grains. She was immersed in bliss on seeing the beautiful forms of Balarama and Krishna. She called them near, selected a few good fruits and gave them. Krishna said that He had taken her fruits, so He had to give something in return. He went inside the house and brought some grains of rice in His baby palms. Some of it however got spilled on the way from His tiny palms. Krishna put the few grains left in His palms in her basket. She paid little attention to what she received from the Divine child. In her daily exchange of fruit for grains, she hardly noticed the little offering from the hands of a child. Lo and behold! When she went home and opened her bundle, all the grains of rice had turned into shining diamonds. Such is the nature of the marvelous acts of the Avatar. Their significance and mystery are beyond the grasp of the human mind. As the Upanishads say, Yatho Vacho Nivarthanthe Aprapya Manasa Saha (whence the words along with the mind rebound in futility without comprehending Divinity).

As Krishna grew up, He started taking the cows for grazing everyday into the forest along with other cowherd boys. One day as they were lost in playing, thecows moved to another part of the forest. Suddenly, there was a big fire in the forest. Frightened by the fire, the Gopalas started praying to Krishna to save them and their cows. Krishna dispelled their fear by assuring them that everything would be all right. He told them to close their eyes for some time. The Gopalas never disobeyed Krishna and did as He said. After some time, the raging fire was extinguished and the cows started returning safely. Amazed by this experience, the Gopalas went about sharing this miracle with others in the village. They said, "Krishna is no ordinary being. He is verily God as it was not possible for anybody to do what Krishna did."

The following day, they again went into the forest. After playing for some time, Krishna said that He was hungry. When the Gopalas wanted to go to the village to fetch food, Krishna told them to go to a nearby place where a sacred Yajna was being performed, and ask the Brahmins for food. The Brahmins bluntly rejected their request by saying that they would give the food only after Poornahuti (final oblations) in the Yajna and after they partake of the food themselves. Seeing the Gopalas returning disappointed, Krishna said, "Only the mothers understand the hunger of children. Go and ask the wives of the Brahmins for food." In spiritual path, it is particularly women who readily recognize Divinity. The Gopalas went to the wives of the Brahmins and said, "Mothers, our Krishna is very hungry. He wants food." The mothers’ joy knew no bounds as Krishna Himself, the protector of the entire universe, was asking them for food. They at once packed the food without even telling their husbands and went to Krishna. They served the delicacies to Krishna and Gopalas and experienced bliss in His proximity. Krishna told them to go back as their husbands would be waiting for them. Karthavyam Yogamuchyathe (discharging one’s duty is Yoga). "Do your duty. Do not delay," Krishna said. They returned to their husbands and told them what had happened. Krishna’s Will changed the minds of their husbands. They were very happy, and in fact asked for the Prasadam of Krishna.

It was evening when Krishna along with the Gopalas started homewards. On their way, a demon in the form of a python was lying on the ground. This python named Agadha was sent by Kamsa. If the mighty python opened its mouth, even cars could get in. The demon swallowed all the cows and was ready even to swallow the Gopalas. The Gopalas clamored for help from Krishna. They said, "What would we answer if our parents asked for the cows?" Krishna pacified them. He entered the mouth of the demon and enlarged His body till the demon’s body tore open. He rescued the cows after killing the python in this way. The Gopalas, awestruck with this incident, started spreading the glories of Krishna. Such miracles were experienced by the Gopalas every moment.

Kamsa Meets his End

The stories of Krishna’s glory and miracles started spreading far and wide. This added fuel to the fire of hatred of Kamsa towards Krishna. As a part of his plan to kill Balarama and Krishna, he sent Akrura to invite both of them to fight with the wrestlers in his court. Despite knowing the evil intentions behind this invitation, Akrura went to Repalle to bring Balarama and Krishna as it was his duty to obey the command of the king. Seeing Balarama and Krishna mounting Akrura’s chariot, the Gopikas and Gopalas blocked the pathway, thereby not allowing Akrura to take their Krishna away from them. They prayed, "Oh Krishna, don’t leave us. Who will protect us if You go away? Don’t go to that evil king Kamsa." Krishna pacified the grief-stricken Gopikas and Gopalas with His gentle and sweet words appropriate to the moment. They reached Mathura.

Kubja, a short woman with a hunchback, was assigned the task of carrying perfumes to king Kamsa. On seeing her, Krishna asked, "Oh short lady, what are you carrying?" She replied that she was carrying perfumes to Kamsa, which he was very fond of. Krishna went near her, deftly stepped on her feet and with His hands under her chin lifted her up. Kubja, who was short with a hunch on her back, became straight and good-looking. These Leelas (miracles) were well expounded by Thyagaraja: "You are beyond all description and human comprehension. Is it possible to estimate Your glory and splendour? I have been waiting for Your grace. Oh Lord! Listen to my prayer and redeem me. You are the one who brought back to life the dead son of Your preceptor. You are the one who subjugated the serpent Kaliya, freed Vasudeva and Devaki and saved Draupadi from humiliation. You fulfilled Kuchela’s desires, You made ugly-looking Kubja beautiful. You protected the Pandavas and saved 16,000 Gopikas. You are beyond all description and human comprehension. Krishna, it is not possible for even Brahma to describe Your glory. I have been praying for Your grace." (Telugu Song) When Balarama and Krishna were passing through the streets of Mathura, even ladies came out of their houses to greet them. They were whispering among themselves thus: "Who are these children having radiant forms? Perhaps they are the sons of an emperor."

Balarama and Krishna entered the court of Kamsa where the wrestling competition was in progress. The competition did not produce a winner as none of the wrestlers gained an upper hand over the other. All of a sudden, Balarama and Krishna leapt onto the dais from where Kamsa was watching the proceedings and pulled him down. Kamsa fell down on the ground. Putting His foot on Kamsa’s stomach, Krishna tore him to pieces and killed him. Kamsa had two wives Asti and Prapti. As it was not possible for them to stay there, they went back to their parents’ house. Their father was also a mighty demon. The moment he heard the death of Kamsa, he became furious and set out to kill Balarama and Krishna. He came to fight with Balarama and Krishna many times, but was ultimately killed. Thus, Krishna punished the wicked and protected the pious. This was the Dharma for the Dwapara Yuga. But the Dharma for the other Yugas is not the same. Today man has to be put on the right path with sweet words and by setting an ideal before him.

Krishna showed many miracles to manifest His Divinity. The Gopikas and Gopalas were fortunate to enjoy and experience the Divinity of Krishna. Living in those days was highly sacred. People were engaged in selfless activities rather than in selfish deeds. All were always engaged in helping and never in hurting others. In this manner, they could directly recognize Divinity. Therefore, we should always perform our activities in a selfless manner and never indulge in selfishness. As I say often: Help ever, Hurt never. The cowherds were constantly acting in this manner.

© `Sanathana Sarathi’ (September, 2001). From Bhagavan’s Krishna Janmashtami Sandesh in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on August 11, 2001.

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